Oregon can get to reform without the Wisconsin solution’

Kevin Cameron

Sunday

Mar 13, 2011 at 12:01 AM

There’s been much speculation in recent weeks whether the political battle in Wisconsin is coming to Oregon. Like the Badger State, our state government is struggling to balance the budget due to a poor state economy, overspending and years of falling tax revenues. As in Madison, Salem is forced to confront the rising costs of state personnel salaries, benefits and pensions.

While I support some actions taken by Republicans in Wisconsin, I believe Oregon can control spending and find reasonable solutions without a bitter and divisive debate in our state Capitol. We value our front-line workers, but Oregon must pursue fiscal reforms to sustain our schools, law enforcement and other vital government services. I believe we can achieve these reforms without taking away collective bargaining rights for public employee unions. Oregon House Republicans continue to meet and listen to state employees and their ideas for reform this session.

However, Oregonians should compare our state workers’ benefits and pensions to those who’ve barricaded themselves inside the Wisconsin Capitol the past several weeks. Wisconsin state workers pay 6 percent of their health benefit costs, yet Oregon state workers contribute nothing. Wisconsin state workers pay a small percentage of their earnings into their retirement plan, yet Oregon state workers pay nothing.

Oregon is one of a very few states that doesn’t require its workers to contribute to their premiums. These benefits cost taxpayers $55 million a month, and the costs are growing. House Republicans have proposed requiring state workers to contribute 9 percent toward their health insurance premiums. We believe this is a reasonable contribution considering that public- and private-sector workers elsewhere pay an average of 30 percent.

Oregon must also address rising costs in the Public Employees Retirement System, which continue to consume larger and larger portions of state and local government budgets. We’ve proposed reforms to create a more affordable program for new hires, without affecting agreements for existing PERS members and retirees. Currently, our state and local governments “pick up” 6 percent of employee contributions into individual accounts. Republicans have proposed limiting the pick-up to 3 percent, which would save $132 million this biennium.

While we don’t propose eliminating collective bargaining rights for public employee unions, House Republicans believe that Oregonians and their elected representatives deserve a voice in future negotiations. We’ve proposed requiring legislative approval for a union contract or collective bargaining agreement that allow for an increase in compensation greater than the average increase in the consumer price index for one year prior.

Gov. John Kitzhaber is currently engaged in collective bargaining negotiations with Oregon’s major public employee unions. Though he was elected with significant support of these unions, he seems to understand that Oregon must address rising personnel costs. His initial offer to the unions represents a real effort to bring these costs under control.

The governor deserves a chance to reach a compromise, and we offer bipartisan support for concessions he is seeking. However, to bring real and lasting change, we will continue to push for reforms that make our state government more sustainable and more affordable to Oregon taxpayers.

I don’t believe that state workers caused Oregon’s fiscal and economic mess, yet their salaries, benefits and pensions are paid by many Oregonians who’ve suffered during the Great Recession. Any effort to restrain personnel costs must be supplemented by aggressive policies to strengthen our private sector and put people back to work for Oregon businesses.

Unless the economy recovers, we’ll continue to need concessions from our public employee unions. Without more private sector jobs, we’ll struggle to balance the budget and fund services.

House Republicans are committed to controlling spending and creating jobs, but we’ll listen to our front-line workers and maintain a civil debate at the state Capitol.

Rep. Kevin Cameron, R-Salem, is the Republican leader of the Oregon House of Representatives.

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